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Horned Python Bow
A war bow was different from an ordinary bow, just like how a sports car was different from an ordinary car. An ordinary bow could be made out of bamboo by anyone at home. But a war bow was a bow that could be used on an actual battlefield, an environment where the demands for a bow’s quality and power were especially strict. Due to the materials needed and time constraints in producing a war bow in this era, it was amongst one of the most expensive weapons. Among the weapons of the same level, the price of the war bow was more expensive than other weapons of similar quality. A slightly better war bow could easily cost more than ten taels of gold. It was not something that just anyone could afford. The bow bag was made out of precious rhinoceros’ leather. It was entirely green and covered with beautiful patterns, and resembled the shape of a half-crescent. The entire bow bag was very long, as it could almost reach Yan Liqiang’s chin when it stood on the ground. Putting everything else aside, just the materials and craftsmanship alone would cost a lot. Zhou Yong opened up the bow bag and took out the bow. Upon seeing the bow, Yan Liqiang couldn’t help but be shocked. “Brother Zhou, could this bow possibly be the legendary Horned Python Bow…?” “Hahaha! So, Master Yan also has heard about the Horned Python Bow before. Not bad! This bow is indeed the Horned Python Bow…” Zhou Yong lovingly gazed at the black war bow as his hand gently caressed the sleek body. “This was obtained by one of my good brothers on a battlefield. He later gifted it to me. It requires the draw strength of at least five piculs for anyone to be able to use this bow. It is too strenuous for me to use but with Master Yan’s superhuman strength, this bow will surely fit you…” The frame of that black bow was sleek, exquisite and had a great texture as it had spiral patterns covering its body. Touching it felt no different from touching metal. In the eyes of many, the Horned Python Bow was not simply just a bow, like how the Rolex wasn’t simply just a watch. During the construction of an average qualified war bow, the required materials were wood, horn, sinew, glue, silk, and paint. Not only were the materials expensive, the process of making it was complex and required the considerations of various climate’s influence. The wood of the bow staves was cut in the winter, the horn was treated in the spring, the sinew was treated in the summer and the materials were assembled in the autumn. The limbs of the bow and everything else on the frame of the bow were all formed at the onset of winter, the appearance of the bow was refined at the onset of frost. The time for a war bow to be constructed to its completion would require at least three years. And this was also the factor that held the most contribution to the sky-high price of a qualified war bow. Despite this, the Horned Python Bow was even more expensive than those war bows that were made from this crafting procedure. The only reason for its value was because of the fact that entire frame of the Horned Python Bow was all natural, and not man-made. The frame of the Horned Python Bow was made from the entire skull of a Horned Python. The Horned Python was a rare beast that existed only in this world. Compared to a normal python, the Horned Python grew a pair of long horns similar to cow horns on its head. Those long horns growing on its skull made a fine and slender bow frame. This was the reason why it was named Horned Python. The horns that grew out of the Horned Python’s head were different compared to the horns that grew on the heads of other species. Those horns on the Horned Python’s head were directly connected to its skull, making it entirely whole and extremely firm. Other than its firmness, its two horns were extremely tough and had an elastic attribute. Under a great force, the horns would deform, but the moment the force was released, the two horns would spring back to its original position. The features of these twin horns on the Horned Python’s head were even better than the features of a man-made war bow. It was also due to these features that the head of a Horned Python became the best material for the frame of a war bow while the sinew of the Horned Python became the best matching bowstring. Zhou Yong said that he couldn’t draw this powerful bow of five piculs. Yan Liqiang had naturally found it to be embarrassing to show off in front of him. That was why he had used another bow that only required the strength of two piculs when he practiced archery in the barracks just now. Thirty jin was about thirty catties, one hundred twenty catties was equivalent to a picul. Every picul was 120 jin, which was equivalent to sixty kilograms. A pull strength of at least three hundred kilograms would be needed in order for one to be able to draw a powerful bow of five piculs. It was simply impossible for an ordinary person to draw this type of bow.